Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2021 23:50:30 -0500
Reply-To: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Slider Hinge
In-Reply-To: <603b1af6.1c69fb81.81cc1.3609@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Hi Gene,
I’d love to follow your lead and rebuild my original. The one on my van now is a used original so I could work on my old one and if successful return it to service. The one on the van now is still weaker then I’d like but better then my original.
If you can take the time to describe the process a bit for taking it apart and any tricks you learned I’d greatly appreciate it.
Also, the part number or place you found the spring.
You are showing the true VW owner, I can fix this, personality.
This would be a great project as I can work on it and not keep my van from being functional and then have a real improvement or at least a working spare hinge.
Any tips greatly appreciated
Most people would want a video of the process, but that doesn’t help me without clear verbal descriptions.
Like you once I do something once I pretty much have it down for the future. Of course once rebuild it may last 35 years so I might forget by then!
I put this back on list as I think others will want to know of your success and possibly a few of us can master this task.
Actually, you should consider having people send you the hinges and doing a exchange. Rebuild the old ones and send a person a new one.
Your time and parts would be worth a fee to make it worth your time! I’m not aware of anyone offering or having figured out how to rebuild the hinge back to good health.
I’d love to master the skill.
Eric Caron
Currently without his van
But with a spare hinge ready for rebuilding!
> On Feb 27, 2021, at 11:24 PM, Gene P <olgreywoof@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Eric,
>
> It’s been awhile, my projects get like that. I wanted to let you know I was able to rebuild my slider hinge. It was many trips to the hardware store and a lot of fiddling around and looking for a better way, but I got it done and the hinge is back in the van and I’m happy with it.
>
> The experience you had with hinges not fitting sounds like just one of many. There is something about the aftermarket hinges that is different. I point to GoWesty’s warning that the hinge they sell is not compatible with the rear arm roller bearing or the bundle they sell. So it somehow is not like original. At one point along my crooked path, I actually decided to part with $200 for a new German VW hinge, only to have my order cancelled because they had problems with them NOT FITTING.
>
> So … my advice (and that’s something I don’t say very often) is to treat that old original hinge you have like a collector’s item. If you did want to rebuild it, the only actual VW part I bought was the spring. Everything else I needed was cobbled together from stuff at a pretty good hardware store – o-rings, neoprene washers, some nylon sleeve material, a plastic screw head cover. It’s one of those projects that would be very easy for me to do a second time. Of course I’ll never have to.
>
> Just wanted to encourage you to hang on to that hinge, it may be irreplaceable.
>
> gp
>
> From: Eric Caron <mailto:ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 9:47 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Subject: Re: Slider Hinge
>
> Hi Gene,
>
> When my slider stopped popping out I looked into that hinge.
>
> My door would barely open and I found my spring hinge like yours was not very strong any longer. I had to pull on the handle to open. Over time I was putting strain on the handle.
>
> On my original spring I found some strange plastic thing inside the spring that was starting to come out. It had the rubber on either side of the spring.
>
> In the end I could find no way to rebuild. I put it in my spare parts and would love to rebuild it so that it was strong again.
> GW sold me a used hinge. It was only slightly better then mine and it took a lot of work to change the slider bushings. The rubber was in worse shape then mine.
>
> So, if you find a way to rebuild I’d love to know. In the meantime used part was my solution.
>
> As I write this I think my memory was jolted. Now that I think about it I think GW had a new version. The problem is when I got it didn’t fit my 85 door correctly. No matter how I adjusted it would not close correctly. They sent me the used one and that fit. So the new one had questionable manufacturing details. Still for your van perhaps a new one will work out.
>
> If anyone out there is rebuilding the hinges I have a hinge for you.
>
> Eric Caron
> 85 GL Auto
>
>
